Swim With The Sharks

Survivor Pool

Now that we are almost at the halfway point of the season, I thought I would make a slight change to the format this week.

Normally I look at players from a week-to-week basis and try to find the exact right time to buy and sell guys. However, this week I’m looking at players to buy and sell for the rest of the season. So I’m looking at these players as buy/sell candidates to keep in mind for beyond just trying to get them this week.

Also, just keep in mind buying or selling a particular player depends on the makeup of your team. If you have Aaron Rodgers and Andrew Luck, you obviously don’t need Tony Romo. If your team is 7-0 and Julio Jones is just one piece of a powerhouse, you probably don’t need to trade him away. These are just some suggestions on how I view a few players performing over the final two months of the season.

Now here are the players I’m advising to buy low and sell high on after Week 7.

Buy Low

Tony Romo, QB, Dallas – I’ve been beating the drum for Romo over the past couple of weeks and it’s not because I’m a Dallas fan and I think the team is going anywhere. It’s actually the exact opposite.

I still think the Cowboys are a mess, but on Sunday they ran into a team (Carolina) that just happens to be a bigger mess at the moment and squeaked out a win. I actually think looking ahead Dallas is going to be in some shootouts and as I’ve been saying, the schedule sets up really nice for Romo over the next couple of months.

Starting this Sunday, Romo’s remaining schedule is the New York Giants, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Washington, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, New Orleans and Washington. Every one of those games is either against a team with a bad secondary or a game that figures to be high scoring. Either way, Romo has one of the most quarterback-friendly schedules remaining in the NFL.

There is a big difference between NFL football and fantasy football. Romo has been the epitome of this over his career, and I don’t see that changing in the next 10 games. The Cowboys may only go 5-5, but I like Romo to top 20 fantasy points in seven or eight of those matchups.

Willis McGahee, RB, Denver – McGahee seems like a player fantasy owners are always looking to sell and it’s because he’s not overly spectacular. He is, however, consistent. McGahee is averaging more than 15 points in points per reception leagues, and while the veteran won’t deliver owners many huge outings, you can pencil him in for 14-20 points most weeks.

The other thing to like about McGahee going forward is he’s guaranteed touches. Other than rookie Ronnie Hillman, the Broncos don’t have much talent behind McGahee. I loved Hillman in college and this summer, but I was a year too early on him. While his role is growing, Hillman won’t be a fantasy factor until 2013 or unless McGahee gets hurt. Right now with the way the Broncos are built, it’s the veteran who will see close to 20 touches virtually every week.

Again, McGahee isn’t going to get you 30 points, but if you’re looking for a running back in a good offense that’s guaranteed to get a majority of his team’s touches for the rest of the season, McGahee is your guy.

Daryl Richardson, RB, St. Louis – After Richardson had his breakout game against Washington, I advised going out and grabbing him because I thought he had something special. I still believe Richardson is a special player and he’s now, basically, in an even timeshare with Steven Jackson.

Right now, Richardson can be counted on as a flex play in points per reception leagues and he’s only getting around 10 carries a game. Can you imagine what kind of fantasy numbers he’ll put up if Jackson gets hurt? Richardson isn’t a guy you can depend on every week yet, but with his upside he’s a player I would target.

The other thing to like about Richardson is that his role in the passing game is growing. He’s caught five balls for 66 yards in the last two games, and I see those numbers increasing now that he’s seeing more playing time.

If Jackson goes down in early December and Richardson is the Rams’ starting running back during fantasy playoffs, that could be the difference between you winning and losing your league.

Denarius Moore, WR, Oakland– Moore was bothered by a shoulder injury early in the year but he’s found the end zone in each of his last two games. I really like him over the second half of the season.

The Raiders flat-out can’t run the ball. I know this because I have Darren McFadden in one of my leagues and he barely outscores Danny Woodhead some weeks. As I’ve pointed out recently, Carson Palmer has been a solid fantasy quarterback this year. I see some big games in Moore’s future. He may not quite be the Raiders’ No. 1 receiver, yet, but Moore is getting close.

Coming up, Moore gets to feast on the secondaries of Tampa Bay, New Orleans, Baltimore and Cleveland. Palmer is going to have to throw the ball all season long for the Raiders to remain competitive, and that means Moore is a receiver you want to get right now. If he stays healthy, I think Moore will be one of the better fantasy receivers over the final two months.

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